Rwandan Proposal to Change Election Structure

Rwanda plans constitutional change to hold presidential and parliamentary polls together

A statement outlining cabinet resolutions “said that the cabinet on Friday approved a proposal by President Paul Kagame to amend the country’s constitution to allow “harmonization of parliamentary and presidential elections calendars”.

Parliamentary elections are currently scheduled to take place in August this year, but if the constitutional change is implemented, they may be pushed back to next year to be held simultaneously with presidential polls.

The east African country last amended its constitution in 2015, to allow Kagame to extend his rule by a seven-year term commencing in 2017, followed by two further five-year terms. The lawmakers’ term is five years.

Reuters